51. Bandits – 2/5

As the tea-house came to a halt less than fifty meters from the bandits' camp, both sides sprang into action, swiftly gathering information about their respective adversaries. However, the guards within the tea-house were quick to recognize the entire force of the bandits and their sudden movement forward.

As the bandits began to climb the stairs and rush inside the first floor of the tea-house, they were met with an unexpected obstacle, the older guard. Towering in stature and clad in light armor, the guard stood firm like a mountain of brute force.

The guard's swift and decisive action turned the first floor of the tea-house into a battleground, as he single-handedly repelled the bandits' advances with ruthless efficiency. With each stroke of his blade, he cut down bandits with deadly precision, leaving a trail of carnage in his path.

Desperate screams echoed through the air, mingling with the sickening sound of metal slicing through flesh and bone. The bandits stood no chance against the guard's formidable strength and skill, their feeble attempts to breach the tea-house's defenses were swiftly crushed beneath his relentless onslaught.

As the battle raged on, the floor of the tea-house was stained crimson with the blood of the fallen, a grim testament to the guard's unwavering resolve. With each passing moment, the tide of battle turned further in his favor, until finally, the last of the bandits lay vanquished at his feet cut in half with his long sword.

The excruciating screams echoed through the tea-house, serving as a signal for everyone on the second floor to spring into action. The younger guard and the slaves wasted no time, unleashing a barrage of arrows and projectiles at the bandits who were running forward the tea-house from the safety of the windows.

As the bandits closed the distance, arrows rained down upon them, causing chaos and inflicting injuries despite some of them being at the first stage of BT. The surprise attack from the tea-house defenders caught them off guard, leaving them vulnerable to the onslaught. However, as the bandits realized the source of the attack, they retaliated with their bows, intensifying the conflict. A fierce battle ensued, with arrows flying back and forth between the combatants.

Despite their injuries, some of the bandits managed to break away and retreat into the nearest destroyed slug house, seeking refuge from the relentless assault. The defenders of the tea-house remained vigilant, prepared to continue the fight and defend their home against any further attacks.

As the first bandit reached the end of the stairs, poised to enter the tea-house, he and the one behind him met a gruesome end. Unbeknownst to them, the guard stationed on the first floor had already dispatched everyone inside and was prepared for any intruders. With deadly precision, the hidden spear struck, impaling both bandits as they attempted to breach the defenses of the tea-house. Their assault was swift and decisively.

After a quick impale of two first bandits, the guard's leg kicked the first bandit back sending him and everyone behind him back from the stairs. His strength was more them two times bigger them normal non-cultivation and his leg forced the first bandit's chest to explode from the impact like a watermelon, leaving the remaining attackers to reconsider their strategy and what to do next.

A steady stream of bandits emerged from the camp, accompanied by ten first-stage BT cultivators. Some of them made their way towards the slug, intent on incapacitating it to prevent escape, while others advanced towards the tea-house armed with torches. The defenders responded swiftly, opening fire on the approaching bandits to thwart their advance.

As the bandits attacked the slug, it stopped moving and attempted to protect itself, while inside the tea-house, the first-stage BT cultivators unleashed a rain of arrows which were very effective and easily penetrated through the wall of the tea-house. Despite their efforts, casualties mounted among the defenders, with a few slaves falling victim to the bandits' onslaught. Before long, only the guard and Xu Yi remained alive and returning fire against the relentless attackers. The situation grew increasingly dire as the bandits closed in.

*****

Mei Lin was slowly closing the distance and managed to move around the tea-house and sneak into the destroyed slug house. The slug house was destroyed, but the roof of the house was partially intact and served as a very good protection against snow and as a good cover.

Mei Lin quickly entered the ruins and started to kill seriously injured bandits in a way that none of the bandits discovered her in the work. Mei Lin's actions were characterized by ruthless and effective efficiency, leaving her adversaries with no chance to retaliate. Crysknivesnife were very effective and could cut through anything, so one heard any sounds from the killing.

Arrows were still flying from both sides, but bandits discovered that defenders of the tea-house were well prepared and couldn't be killed easily. On the other number of arrows flying from the tea-house significantly slowed.

Bandits managed to kill all slaves, who were not trained with the weapons and had no idea how to effectively take cover between their shots. Only the younger guard and Xu Yi were smart and took advantage of better positions and were prepared to take cover after every shot and change their position a little.

After the dramatic shift in power at the tea house, the bandits swiftly received orders and closed in, hurling torches in an attempt to set the building ablaze. However, their efforts were stopped by the vigilant guards and Xu Yi, who targeted them as they approached the tea-house to throw the torches. Amidst the chaos, a young guard attempted to eliminate the bandit nearest to the tea-house, poised with a lit torch. But in his haste, he exposed himself too much, and at that precise moment, the arrow he released flew from outside through the small gap in the window, burring itself inside the guard. A desperate scream escaped from the guard's mouth and he fell to the ground.

He was struck in the chest and collapsed to the floor of the second floor. Xu Jie rushed to his side, desperately trying to help, but to no avail. Nearby, Xu Yi, shaken by the sudden loss and mind suddenly felt that it could be him next time, as he showed himself in the window, and froze in fear, unable to continue firing. This sudden change gave bandits a chance to engage near the tea-house and started to throw torches to burn it down.

Once more, a horde of bandits clamored up the stairs toward the tea-house, determined to breach its defenses. However, their efforts were futile against the guard stationed at the doors. Positioned one level above them, he wielded his spear with precision, effectively barring their entry. What ensued was a one-sided massacre as the elderly guard showcased his exceptional skill in combat. Each one-on-one encounter proved effortless for him, swiftly dispatching bandits in a display of mastery with his long spear.